Container for leavened dough



Oct. 29, 1957 A. B. EREKSON CONTAINER FOR LEAVENED DOUGH 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ,4? rh'ueB. [es/00w ATTO R N EY Oct. 29, 1957 A. B. EREKSON CONTAINER FOR LEAVENED DOUGH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 22, 1955 INVENTOR He M02 5. E'AE/(JON ATTORNEY United States Patent CONTAINER FOR LEAVENED DOUGH Arthur B. Erekson, Lafayette, Calif., assignor to The Borden Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application November 22, 1955, Serial No. 548,433 7 Claims. (Cl. 99172) The present invention relates to the packaging of comestibles of leavened dough in the form of ready to make biscuits, rolls or the like and comprises a novel container for such type of product which is economical to manufacture and pack, may be readily and safely opened and insures against damage of the contents during the opening operation.

Products of the above indicated type are packaged by the manufacturer very shortly after the ingredients are mixed and before the leavening agent has produced any substantial increase in volume. After packaging, partial action of the leavening agent is allowed before the action is arrested by chilling of the container and contents. During such partial action of the leavening agent, the packaged products expand with build-up of pressure within the container.

Various problems arise in the construction of a suitablecontainer for such type of product. A suitable vent must be provided for air replaced by the expanding contents. The container must be strong enough to withstand rupture under the pressure generated by the expanding products and should be simple and safe to open without damage to the contents. The container should also be economical to manufacture and pack. These problems have been solved by the container construction of the present invention.

Briefly, the new container comprisesa tube of chip board, preferably waxed on its inner surface, and closed by metal ends crimped to the tube. The tube is deeply scored or severed around its periphery at a location'so selected that the two parts of the tube on opposite sides of the score line will automatically separate, but without'explosiveaction, when 'the score line is exposed. Within the tube is a liner of strong, gas-proof material that encloses the packaged articles. On the outer surface of the tube is a plastic pull strip that overlies the score line but does not adhere to the tube and a wrapper which is adhesively secured to the tube and to the plastic strip. 'One end of the strip is made accessible to provide means for initiation of rupture of the wrapper by the strip. The wrapper is preferably a laminate of strong paper and metal foil and may comprise the printed label of the package. The score line or cut to which, as above indicated, the plastic strip is not adhesively secured, serves as a vent for air displaced when the volume of the contents increases during the initial action of the leavening agent, the air escaping through the score line and traveling beneath the strip to pass to the atmosphere at the location of the tab. The wrapper, being adhesively secured to the tube over substantially the entire area thereof (except the portion covered by the plastic strip) serves to hold the two parts of the tube together and to resist separation thereof under the pressure built up within the package by the expansion of the contents.

The location of the score line is of particular importance in insuring proper action in opening. When the score line.

is very close to one end of the tube rupture of the outer wrapper by the tear strip will cause the short end of the tube to separate with explosive action. When the score line is too far from either end of the tube the internal pressure on an end wall is insuflicient to separate the secwall area of the shorter portion of the tube is between one and a half and four times, preferably about two and onc half, times the area of the disc closure, optimum opening action results. Thus if D is the inner diameter of the tube, the distance L of the score line from the nearer end should;

be between D and %D, preferably %D.

"For abetter understanding of the invention reference may be hadto the accompanying drawings illustrating a 1 preferred embodiment of the new containerm Fig. 1 is an exploded view showing the various of a container'embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an isometric side view partly broken away show ing the condition of the assembled container during the filling operation;

Fig. 3 is a view of-a sealed and filled container about F to be opened by means of the pull strip;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional filled and sealed container;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view through the container after separation of the parts by rupture of the labelor outer wrapper;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view on a greatly enlarged and exaggerated scale illustrating the escape of air during the initial'expansion in volume of" freshly packed products; and

Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken on the line 7-7' of Fig. 6.

The various parts of the new container and the method of assembly thereof, will now be described with reference to the drawings. The tube, in the specific embodimentillustrated, comprises a two ply spirally wound tube 2 of chip board the inner surface of which is paraflined to'give- An inner Wrapper or liner 4of strong gas proof material, as'for example Saran, a generic term for a synthetic resin composed of polymers and copolymers" it smoothness.

derived from vinylidene chloride, fits within the tube 2 and encloses the contents. sufficient to provide for a substantial longitudinal overlap and for folding 'over at the ends.

diameter D is provided with a deepscore or cut 14 at'a di'stance'L from one end thereof equalto /iD and about the outer surface'of this score is positioned a strip 16 of a of ethyleneglycol with terephthalic :acid. An outer-wrap-' as a tab 18a extending from one edge at the location of the strip 16, for initiating tearing of the wrapper 18 by the strip 16. Instead of a tab, the wrapper 18 could be suitably notched or cut away to permit access to an end of the pull strip.

Patented Oct. 29, 1957 elements view partly in elevation ofa The area of the liner 4 is:

A metal disc 6"is crimped to the lower end of the tube 2 and similarly-a" metal'disc' 8, after'the tube is filled, is crimped tothe upper end of the tube. Preferably a pasteboarddisc-IO" is inserted in the package between the upper discs and folds of the inner liner 4 to insure that during the crimping of'the lid 8 to the tube 2 no part of the liner 4 willbe caught in the crimping operation. The tube 2-of'a The assembled package, except for the addition of the pasteboard disc 10 and upper cap 8 is shown in Fig. 2 with the lower end of the inner liner 4 folded in conventional manner and with the upper end opened to receive a formedbiscuit 20 or similar article. After the predetermined number of biscuits 20 are introduced into the assembled container the upper end of the liner 4 is folded over the upper biscuit, the pasteboard disc 10 is laid upon the folds of the liner 4 and the metal cap 8 is crimped to the upper end of the tube 2. Instead of inserting the liner 4 and biscuits 20 separately into an end of the tube the biscuits could first be wrapped in the liner, the liner folded at its sides and the so formed inner package inserted into the tube.

The packed container beforechilling to arrest the action of the leavening agent in the formed articles contains air above the upper biscuit and in and among the folds of the liner. With increase in volume of the shaped products the air is forced between the liner and the periphery of the tube and escapes, as indicated by the arrows in Figs."6 and'7 through the score 14 and between the strip 16 and outer surface of the tube to atmosphere at the location of the tab 18a. When the air has been completely expelled from the interior of the closed package the pressure of the expanding biscuits 20 forces liner 4 against the score 14 to seal the container and permit the build up therein of pressure. At this stage the product is chilled to arrest further expansion and to maintain the sealed package in condition for later sale to the ultimate user.

When the above described package is to be opened the pull tab is grasped by the fingers and the outer wrapper 18 severed by means of the strip. Fig. 3 illustrates the start of the opening operation. When the outer wrapper is thus broken the two parts into which the score line 14 divides the tube 2 are no longer held together and consequently the internal pressure created by the action of the leavening agent will lift the upper shorter section of the tube as indicated in Fig. causing the folds in the liner at the upper end of the container to open up. The upper short section of the tube 2 can then be readily lifted off to expose the contents and to permit easy removal thereof from the other section of the tube. Because of the strength of the material selected for the liner 4 and because of the relatively large area presented by the closure disc 8 to the upward thrust of the biscutis there will be but little tendency for sidewise expansion of the contents at the location at which the two parts of the tube separate.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the new container,-requiring relatively few and simple parts, can be made economically by mass production methods. Because of the strategic location of the score line, the container may be opened easily and safely and without deformation of the contents. Rupture of the inner lining during the opening operation is prevented by the use of inherently strong material, such as Saran, and by so locating the score line that there is a relatively large area of the shorter portion of the severed tube subjected to longitudinal thrust.

The following is claimed:

1. A container for articles of leavened dough comprising a tube cut along a circumferential scoring located at a distance from the nearer end not greater than the internal diameter of the tube and not less than threeeighths such diameter, a tear tape non-adhesively positioned on the outer surface of said tube over the scoring and an outer wrapper adhesively secured to said tube and to said strip of a strength sufficient to hold together the parts of the tube at opposite sides of the scoring when the tube is packed with articles of leavened dough, sealed at its ends and pressure has built up therein due to partial expansion of the articles under the action of the leavening agent therein, said scoring where the tube is cut serving as an air vent during initial expansion of packed articles, said tube being provided with an inner liner of gas proof material adapted to be wrapped around articles packed therein and serving after displaced air has vented between overlapped edges thereof and through the scoring to seal the tube where scored.

2. The container according to claim 1 wherein said scoring is at a distance from one end equal substantially to five-eighths of the internal diameter of the tube.

3. The container according to claim 1 wherein said tube is of two ply spirally wound chip board, said inner liner is of Saran and said outer wrapper is a laminate of kraft paper and aluminum foil.

4. The container according to claim 1 wherein said inner liner is of Saran, said tear strip is a polyester of ethylene glycol with terephthalic acid and said outer wrapper is a printed label comprising a laminate of strong paper and metal foil.

5. The container according to claim 1 wherein said tube is sealed at its ends by metal discs crimpedto the periphery of the tube, and wherein means are provided for protecting the inner liner during the crimping of a metal end disc after the container has been filled, said means comprising a cardboard disc interposed between the metal end disc and end folds of the liner.

6. A package comprising articles of leavened dough and a container enclosing the same, said container comprising a tube sealed at its ends and out along a circumferential scoring located at a distance from the nearer end not greater than the internal diameter of the tube and not less than three-eighths such diameter, a tear tape non-adhesively positioned on the outer surface of said tube over the scoring, an outer wrapper adhesively secured to said tube and to said tape of a strength sufficient to hold together the parts of the tube at opposite sides of the scoring under pressure built up therein due to partial expansion of the leavened articles, said scoring where the tube is cut serving as an air vent during initial expansion of the articles, and a sheet of Saran wrapped about said articles and folded thereover only at the ends of the tube, said sheet serving as an inner liner of the tube to seal the tube where scored after displaced air has vented through the scoring.

7. The package according to claim 6 wherein said scoring is at a distance from one end of the tube equal substantially to five-eighths of the internal diameter of the tube.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,314,338 Graves et al Mar. 23, 1943 2,478,618 Armstrong et al. Aug. 9, 1949 2,557,576 Simmons June 19, 1951 2,650,213 Hofrichter Aug. 25, 1953 2,681,294 Graves June 15, 1954 2,695,847 Fisher Nov. 30, 1954 

1. A CONTAINER FOR ARTICULES OF LEAVENED DOUGH COMPRISING A TUBE ALONG A CIRCUMFERENTIAL SCORING LOCATED AT A DISTANCE FROM THE NEARER END NOT GREATER THAN THE INTERNAL DIAMETER OF THE TUBE AND NOT LESS THAN THREEEIGHTS SUCH DIAMETER, A TEAR TAPE NON-ADHESIVELY POSITIONED ON THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID TUBE OVER THE SCORING AND AN OUTER WRAPPER ADHESIVELY SECURED TO SAID TUBE AND TO SAID STRIP OF A STRENGTH SUFFICIENT TO HOLD TOGETHER THE PARTS OF THE TUBE AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE SCORING WHEN THE TUBE IS PACKED WITH ARTICULES OF LEAVENED DOUGH, SEALED AT ITS ENDS AND PRESSURE HAS BUILT UP THEREIN DUE TO PARTIAL EXPANSION OF THE ARTICLES UNDER THE ACTION OF THE LEAVING AGENT THEREIN, SAID SCORING WHERE THE TUBE IS CUT SERVING AS AN AIR VENT DURING INTIAL EXPANSION OF PACKED ARTICLES, SAID TUBE BEING PROVIDED WITH AN INNER LINER OF GAS PROOF MATERIAL ADAPTED TO BE WRAPPED AROUND ATRICULEES PACKED THEREIN AND SERVING AFTER DISPLACED AIR HAS VENTED BETWEEN OVERLAPPED EDGES THEREOF AND THROUGH THE SCORING TO SEAL THE TUBE WHERE SCORED. 